In this conversation, Michelle Mootz recounts the origins of her pioneering work with seniors and chronically ill clients—programs that began within CrossFit and have evolved into MetFix’s mission of professionalizing coaching in special populations. Mootz describes creating a closed, data-driven affiliate focused on individuals aged 65+ and those managing chronic disease, where measurable health improvements were matched by profound emotional transformations. Stories like a gastric bypass patient overcoming gym-related trauma illustrated the power of trust, community, and incremental progress. The now-famous “whiteboard,” where participants recorded life-changing victories—carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or playing with grandchildren—became a symbol of purpose-driven coaching and human connection.
Mootz and Thomson expand the discussion to the future of coaching as a form of healthcare collaboration. They highlight the need to elevate coach education so practitioners can confidently engage with medical professionals and support individuals navigating GLP-1 therapies, chronic disease, or recovery from metabolic dysfunction. Mootz emphasizes humility, open communication, and non-judgmental nutrition guidance as the foundation for trust—echoing her belief that coaching is a “heart-centered mission.” MetFix’s new initiatives, including an online scaling course and hands-on seminars, aim to equip coaches to create safe, inclusive environments where every individual, regardless of age or condition, can move, live, and thrive with dignity.
This BSI Medical Society Webinar was streamed on September 22, 2025.
A 10-minute summary of the webinar is available here free, for anyone, while the full video is available for Medical Society Members and MetFix affiliates in their dashboard.
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Metabolic health, medical education, and the case for bringing clinicians and coaches together
At the 2026 Unbreakable Health Retreat in Miami, Emily Kaplan hosted a panel with Bob Kaplan, Professor Thomas Seyfried, and Dr. Derek Lee on what it means to treat cancer as a metabolic disease. They discussed the glucose-ketone index (GKI), nutritional ketosis, and strategies aimed at restricting the fuels cancer cells depend on while considering how metabolic therapy can fit alongside standard cancer treatment.
The conversation also addressed the practical realities patients face when trying to pursue a metabolic approach within the conventional oncology system, including questions about nutrition, repurposed drugs, inherited cancer risk, and how to evaluate different treatment options. Seyfried and Lee connected these clinical questions back to mitochondrial dysfunction, fermentation, and the metabolic vulnerabilities that may offer additional targets for cancer treatment.
An abbreviated version of this discussion is available here, for free.
At the 2026 Unbreakable Health Retreat in Miami, Professor Thomas Seyfried presented the case that cancer is fundamentally a mitochondrial metabolic disease rather than primarily a genetic one. He contrasts the dominant somatic mutation theory with a metabolic model in which impaired mitochondrial respiration drives a shift toward fermentation, dysregulated cell growth, and the mutations commonly associated with cancer.
Citing the work of Otto Warburg and research from his lab at Boston College, Seyfried explains how cancer cells rely heavily on fermentable fuels—particularly glucose and glutamine—and why mitochondrial dysfunction sits upstream of many of the genetic abnormalities seen in tumors. He also discusses reactive oxygen species, altered cellular signaling, and the role of mitochondria in regulating cell growth and behavior.
The presentation then turns to the therapeutic implications of this model. Seyfried explains strategies aimed at placing tumor cells under metabolic stress by restricting the fuels they depend on, including ketogenic metabolic therapy and approaches targeting glucose and glutamine. For Seyfried, the therapeutic target follows directly from the biology: restrict the fuels cancer cells depend on, exploit their metabolic weaknesses, and treat mitochondrial dysfunction as the central feature of the disease.
An abbreviated version of this discussion is available here, for free.
MetFix and BSI Members can view the full 54-minute video.
